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AFAQAB'BOT. FASTENING FOR BOOTS, SHOES, GARMENTS, 8w. No. 79,800. Patented July 14, 1868.

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Letters Patent No. 79,800, dated July 14, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN FASTENINGS FOR BOOTS.

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Be it known that I, ANDREW A. Annc'r, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Fastenings for Boots, Shoes, Gloves, Garments, 81.0., of which the following is a full, clear, andexnct description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of aboct, with my improved fastening applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal 'sectionon the line 2: a: of fig. 1, (enlarged) Figures 3,4, 5, and 6, details to be referred to.

The ordinary fastenings employed for securing a boot or shoe to the foot, and various garments to the body, are objectionable becausc of the inconvenience and delay in fastening or catching them'in 'place when the shoe or garment is-to be' worn, and in liberating or disengaging them when the same are to be removed.

My invention has for its object to obviate the above-mentioned difficulties, and consistslin one or more, spring-buttonso'r fastenings, attached to one side of the shoe or other article, and entering the hole or eyelet in its other side, the two sides being caught or secured together by simply pressing thev eyelet down over' the spring-button, the two ends of which are thus compressed or closed together tonllow of their entering the eyelet, after which, on the removal of the pressure, they'spring back and spread apart, so as to project outside of the edge of the hole in the eyelet, thus securely holding the sides or flaps of the article together, a slight cutward'pull only being required to disengaget-he fastening.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use myinvention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which Ihave carried it out. I

In the said drawings, A is a half or Balmoral boot, which is made to open from-a to a point, 6, above the ankle. Near one edge, e, of this opening, -is secured a row of eyelets, B, while near its other edge, at, is secured a series of spring-buttons or fastenings, G, the construction of which is as follows i A strip of suitable spring-metal is cut into pieces, e, of the form shown in fig. 3, whenits-ends, 7, are placed in a die, by which they receive a cup-shape, as seen in fig. 4, after which the piece ot meta-l is bent around at right angles, as indicated in fig. 5. Through the edge, d, of one of the flaps of the upper" are made a series of slitsor perforations, through which are passed the pieces c when in the shape shown in fig. 5. The outer or cup-formed ends are now brought nearer together by bending or inclining the portions fromS to 9, by a pair of pincers, or otherwise, and a spring-split button is thus made, which readily enters the eyelet when pressed down thereon, and springs back after its entrance, becoming so enlarged, in a direction at right angles to the openingf, as toexceed the'diameter of the eyelet, and thereby connecting the two flaps together, the diameter of the spring-button in the direction of the length of the opening f being a trifle less than that of the eyelet, in order to enter therein and be removed therefrom freely.

The shoe may be conveniently and expeditiously unfastened by simply taking hold of the upper edge, 10, of the flap d, and drawing gently outward and downward.

The above-described devices may beLu-sed to advantage as fastenings for gloves, corsets, dresses, coats, and various other garments, flaps, or curtains of carriages, rind articles ofjewelry. They may also serve as clasps for bngs,-and may be applicd t o many other uses too numerous to mention.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction above described, as it may be varied somewhat without departing from the spirit of my invention; for instance, the spring-button may be formed by splitting or making aslit in a solid piece of metal, the upper end of which is enlarged, and of the form of the button required, and its lower end may be passed through the outside of the f upper, and riveted to the leather before 'thelining is stitched thereto.

Claim.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The within-described fastening, consisting of the spring-button O, in combination with an eyelet, B, or itseqnivalent, substantially as described. A. 'A, ABBOT.

Witnesses:

N. W. Susan's, Josmn W. HUBBARD. 

